Drippings from the Honeycomb: The sweetness of God’s Word one verse at a time.: Recent Episodes
Another12 Ministries
Do you think Bible is boring? King David, in one of his psalms, said the Scriptures were so sweet they were like "drippings from the honeycomb." Perhaps it's time that we take a few minutes out of our busy lives and look at the Bible through fresh eyes! Join us on a weekly journey to find these "sweet drippings" as we walk through the books of the Bible by studying selected key verses through which we can glimpse the whole theme of each book! We will look at stories you might not have heard before, talk about the real people and places behind each of these verses, see how one verse can connect to many others across the entire Bible, and learn to see the beauty of God's sovereign plan which is woven through every page of His Word.
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The central theme of James’ letter—calling believers to live holy and righteous lives—reaches its climax in James 4:17. Throughout the letter, James guides Christians along an increasingly narrow path of righteousness and wholehearted devotion to God, emphasizing human inadequacy when measured against God’s perfect standards. In James 4:17, he delivers this message with striking severity: sin is not merely the presence of unrighteousness, but also the absence of complete and specific obedience.
This statement carries a sobering implication: not only is obedience to God’s Word essential, and all disobedience considered sin, but each believer must also respond faithfully to the personal promptings and teachings of the Holy Spirit. In this way, James’ teaching aligns closely with Paul’s, though James expresses it with remarkable brevity.
Paul encourages believers to exercise their freedom with care, so as not to cause others to stumble. He uses examples—such as dietary choices—to illustrate that what is permissible for one believer may not be for another, depending on conscience. James encapsulates this nuanced idea in a single, powerful idea: “Anyone indwelt by the Holy Spirit who disregards the Spirit’s promptings on their conscience is sinning against God.”
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Sin has a root cause. God knew this, and He continually warned the children of Israel to be on guard against it. Jesus understood this and taught His disciples accordingly. The apostles consistently cautioned their churches about this root cause, and here in James, we see a faithful pastor echoing the same warning to his followers.
The root of all sin is self-idolatry. James asserts that from a heart consumed with self-worship comes “every vile practice.” Selfishness, self-centeredness, self-worship—take your pick—they all convey the same idea and lead to the same disastrous results. The truth is that the heart of man longs to worship itself, which is contrary to the very purpose for which it was created. In doing so, it becomes vulnerable to the horror and destructiveness of sin.
No one can serve two masters. James reaffirms the truth taught by Jesus: to serve self is to reject God.
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Is it possible to be perfect? What would it take to be perfect? James gives us the answer to both in two simple sentences. In James 3:2, he makes two clear points. First, that all people “stumble,” i.e., sin. Second, if anyone does not stumble with their mouth, they can control their whole body and are therefore perfect. James’ point is clear: all people are sinful; Jesus was perfect.
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By what are we saved? Is it faith or works? For centuries, this debate has echoed through the halls of the church, with many followers of Jesus Christ landing all across the spectrum. Is the reality of this question too deep for simple believers to understand? Can something that has split denominations, torn apart congregations, and separated believers for thousands of years not be resolved? Could Scripture not provide a clear and concise answer to this question for the millions of believers who seek to worship God every day?
The answer is assuredly, YES! The Scriptures are incredibly clear on this issue, and the context surrounding this apparent contradiction shows the answer to be readily available. The fact is, both Paul and James, whose writings unwittingly put these two saints at the center of this controversy, based their theology on the same account of faith. Both understood that faith and good works play an integral part in the salvation and sanctification of the believer on this side of heaven, and both left clear evidence in their writings that they were in full agreement. The result is a beautiful and robust view of the salvation and sanctification process that God brings His children through.
With faith as the active movement of the heart and works as the evidence of the seal of the Holy Spirit, it is clearly seen from the Scriptures that no contradiction existed between these two men. Follow along with us as we dive into the context surrounding this supposed disagreement to gain a more complete understanding of the intense complexity of God’s salvation and sanctification plan for His children.
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Is it possible to believe in God, even acknowledge Jesus Christ, and not be saved? If faith in God is what is required for salvation, then shouldn’t everyone who professes belief in God and Jesus be saved?
This position is the prevalent belief of much of the modern church; however, the Scriptures do not agree with this simplified version of what much of the modern church dubs as “saving faith.” Jesus even said these words during his ministry: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
So, it should be no surprise that James offers a similar take on faith, pointing out that there are two kinds of faith: godly faith, which leads to eternal life, and demonic faith, which leads to eternal death. The implications of such teachings, which are found throughout the Scriptures, are stark and demand attention from all. Their teaching is clear: intellectual knowledge, admission of existence, and cerebral assent do not comprise saving faith. Only heart-centered belief from a broken and contrite spirit, mixed with repentance of sin, resulting in a life-altering commitment to the service and obedience of God, can bring salvation to the lost soul.
Introspection and self-evaluation in light of these difficult passages of Scripture are essential for every person who claims to be a Christ-follower. Where is the locus of your faith? In the heart, or in the mind? “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19)
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The law of God has been the subject of much debate since the very beginning of the church. In fact, the discussion, disagreement, and even battles fought by Christ-followers over the place of the Old Testament law within Christianity caused multiple New Testament writers to address the issue.
James does not shy away from the debate in the least! Rather, he offers one of the most beautiful explanations of how God’s Old Testament law fits into Christianity. His writing, far from contradicting his contemporary, the Apostle Paul, speaks in harmony with the rest of the Scriptures in affirming the existence of two laws: the law of God and the law of Jesus Christ.
Together, the writers of the New Testament confirm the truth that Jesus came to fulfill God’s law, freeing humanity from the condemnation and death it brought. However, this did not void the law; rather, it fulfilled it. In its place, James teaches his readers that Jesus gave a new law, one James called “the law of liberty.” This law binds Christ-followers to obedience through the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf, teaching them that they have been made alive and free to live lives that bring glory and honor to God and Jesus Christ through genuine obedience to God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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What is the measure of the condition of a man's heart before God? James argues that it is the condition of a man's mouth!
While this might seem like an odd take by James, his teaching is solidly grounded in the Scriptures. One does not need to look further than the great proclamation by the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament when he cried out, "And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'"
Interestingly enough, it is the defilement of his lips that concerned Isaiah. He understood that, of everything, his mouth was the hardest part to control and bore a great responsibility for the sin in his life.
James would echo this sentiment hundreds of years later when he penned his letter to the churches.
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“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” This simple message was the call of Jesus as He preached during His ministry. The evidence of this is clearly seen in the New Testament writings of His disciples. James echoes this message clearly in this verse, calling on believers to repent, which literally means to turn around, change your ways, and go in the opposite direction.
James’ instruction to believers to “put away” sin shows that repentance is a continual action for the believer. Despite being Christ-followers and being indwelt with the Holy Spirit, residence in this fallen world necessitates repentance. Believers must continually repent of the “sin which so easily besets us” and purposefully follow Christ in obedience.
James knew there was only one way to be obedient. Believers must receive the implanted Word. It is the Word that reveals God, the Word that guides believers, the Word that shows humanity the will of God for their lives. Without the indwelling of the Word, there can be no conviction of sin, no dispensing of godly wisdom, and no hope of salvation.
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“God is not merely good, but goodness; goodness is not merely divine, but God.” - C.S. Lewis
James wanted his readers to understand that everything good in their lives came from God. It could not have come from anywhere else because nothing and no one else is good. God is more than just the author of that which is good, He is its essence because He is goodness itself.
The believer's circumstances do not affect, dictate, or impact the goodness of God. He is good, and all the good things in the believer’s life come from Him even in the midst of the darkest trial. As the Psalmist said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
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Steadfast:
1
a: firmly fixed in place : immovable
b: not subject to change
2
a: firm in belief, determination, or adherence
Despite the fact that his audience is undergoing trial and persecution, James does not send an empathetic letter of commiseration. Quite the contrary, James exhorts his audience to be steadfast in the face of persecution! Was he unfeeling or uncaring about the very real plight of his audience? Not at all! Rather, he understood what was at stake.
When compared together, James fully understood that the eternal good of his brothers and sisters in Christ was infinitely more important than their comfort or ease in this life. It is because of this understanding that he challenged them to stand firm, be strong, and endure to the end. His approach flies in the face of human conventions. Closer inspection of his words, however, shows that he chose love over empathy, the eternal over the temporary, and ultimate good over temporary comfort.
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You remember it like it happened yesterday: the whirlwind ministry of your half-brother, Jesus. His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Then the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, and you witnessed the birth and growth of the fledgling church. That wasn’t very long ago. Your journey has been no less incredible; from doubter to believer, you were called to lead the Jerusalem Church.
Then the persecution came. Your church family was arrested, imprisoned, killed, or driven out of their homes. How can you encourage them? What can you say to them? How can you keep them focused on living for their Lord and Savior?
It is impossible to know every thought that coursed through the mind of James as he penned his letter to his brothers and sisters in the Christian faith undergoing persecution and hardship. However, his incredible letter to the church has given encouragement and guidance to hundreds of millions of Christians throughout the years.
Through this Holy Spirit-inspired letter, we catch a glimpse of James’ heart for persecuted believers. The letter has also given believers a roadmap to righteous living for the past 20 centuries. The words of James are brief, strong, and sometimes downright sharp, but the love driving this incredible pastor is plainly evident through his deep concern for the eternal state of his audience.
For the next few months, we are going to take a journey through this amazing letter. We invite you to join us and be blessed by the words of this incredible pastor of the early church, a man who was brutally martyred for his faith in Jesus: none other than the Lord’s half-brother, James.
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A central theme of the first few chapters of Genesis is the complex relationship between God, the Creator, and man, His uniquely created creature. Humans were created according to God’s pleasure. They are God’s image bearers, a feature of their nature that is completely unique from every other created being.
God designed man to be in a relationship with Himself, and as such, worshiping God is the central purpose of humanity. However, when sin entered the world and humanity fell, the separation from God became impassable by any ability that humans possess.
The introduction to Genesis stands as a microcosm of the entire Scripture: the story of the one true God pursuing His disobedient creation, driven by love to stop at nothing in accomplishing their salvation.
Through these chapters, the love of God is on full display as He continually pursues a relationship with humanity. His holiness, justice, love, mercy, and sacrifice are evident as He works His will to accomplish His ultimate purpose: to save and purify a people for Himself as a priestly inheritance.
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Has it ever occurred to you that God never forgets? Of course, He does more than that, He remembers. You might say, “That’s the same thing!” but is it? It is one thing to never forget anything, but it is quite another to keep something continually in the forefront of your mind. When the Scriptures say that “God remembered” what it means is that His mind is active in keeping the plight of those who call upon Him in the center of His attention all the time.
This is intentional language! God doesn’t just have His people somewhere in His memory. We are the object of his thought. Those who are called by His name and sealed by His salvation have His FULL and UNDIVIDED attention at ALL times. What a demonstration of God’s goodness and mercy to His people. God never forgets, and more than that, He intentionally and continuously remembers His people. His love is fixed upon them, and they can rest in the peace of that reality.
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What would it be like as a Christ-follower to have God say of you that you “did everything He commanded you?” It would definitely be the greatest and most humbling thing that had ever been said about you.
In our mondern day, so many proclaiming Christians have discounted this story, even going so far as to call it myth. However Jesus cited the story of Noah as fact, and even used it as an example of the impending judgement that would accompany His second coming.
If our Lord and Savior looked to the account of Noah as a real, historical example of God’s wrath and judgement for those who reject salvation, than those of us wo proclaim to be Christ-followers should not dismiss what the Bible has to say.
After all, the Scripture says that “God commanded” Noah to do the things he did. The words of Genesis were written by Moses who received the account directly from God Himself! If none of this happened, the God is lying about his commands to Noah and all of Christianity is void. Genesis is true. Noah’s story is true, and as Christ-followers, we ought to learn about this incredible man who “did all that God commanded him.”
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From time to time, as we study the Scriptures, we encounter passages that force us to pause and consider a deep and profound call to action or belief. For many people, both Christ-followers and unbelievers, these passages are so uncomfortable that the easiest approach is to skip over them and ignore them.
However, Scripture makes it very clear throughout its pages that this is not an option for anyone who claims to have a saving relationship with God. The Scriptures are one complete work, spoken in one cohesive voice, God's voice.
The Word, as it is referred to in the New Testament, is both the written Word of God, which He has handed down to His people through divinely inspired human authors, and also Jesus Christ, the living Word, who affirmed the written Word of God as "God-breathed."
Those who would be true Christ-followers are not permitted to pick and choose what they will obey from God’s Word. They are called to live holy and obedient lives, fully submitted to the authority of God, which includes the authority of His Word.
In Genesis 6:5, we encounter a passage such as this. It forces us to look into our hearts and answer the question, “How evil is the heart of man?” This is an uncomfortable question, to be sure; however, the answer is of the utmost importance. Understanding the truth will lead to understanding God’s Word and work for mankind. Embracing Satan’s lie will lead the heart to reject God and face ultimate destruction.
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How should fallen humans approach the Holy God to worship Him? Of course, humans should worship God; that is obvious, but how? How can sinful beings come before the perfect, holy, and all-powerful God without being immediately consumed?
This was one of the many problems that impacted humanity as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. Their once open and intimate relationship with God was now limited by the sinfulness of their fallen nature. They could no longer commune face-to-face with God. Their access to His presence had been cut off.
However, God had a plan, a plan that would still allow Him and His people to fellowship together. At first, this plan was temporary and heavily symbolic. The sacrificial system was instituted to point the heart and thoughts of humanity towards the coming of the redeemer who would make the final sacrifice for all humanity. Yet, despite its symbolism, the sacrificial system was required by God because the nature of His Divinity required it.
Today, those who follow Jesus and are members of the family of God no longer need to sacrifice animals because Jesus’ sacrifice was final. However, God still calls his people to sacrifice themself to Him and to His will. He requires repentance and obedience from those who would follow Him. To follow Jesus is to give every aspect of one’s self over to God in totality. This is true in every area of our lives, especially in our worship.
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What is the ultimate consequence of sin? Is it a guilty conscience? Is it public embarrassment? Is it broken relationships, hurting others, or perhaps even loss? It could be all or part of these but are any of these really the ultimate consequence for sin?
The reality is that there is only one ultimate consequence for sin, and that is separation from God. When we sin, we remove ourselves from the presence of God because He is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. When we choose to sin, we walk away from our relationship with God, and we choose to glorify ourselves.
Thankfully, God is merciful and just, and He extends His grace to us, with forgiveness, because He loves us and because of Jesus' sacrifice. God calls His children to be in relationship with Him, and sin is the opposite of that relationship.
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Everyone knows the story of the fall. A creepy snake tempts Eve into eating some fruit from some tree in some garden that God had made, and just like that, sin, death, and destruction become part of the world we know and live in today. But is that really all there is to the story, or does the sin that caused the fall go deeper than Eve’s actions?
The reality is that it wasn’t just Eve; Adam took an active part in the sin that caused the fall. It also wasn’t just about a single action, like a child taking a cookie that spoils their dinner. At its core, The Fall was about rebellion and idolatry. The desire of man to vaunt himself into the position of God. The sin of Adam and Eve and the sin of Satan were the same sin. The Scripture is clear about it; they desired to be LIKE GOD, the creature coveting equality with the Creator.
The Scriptures would later point out that the attitude of Jesus was completely different. Jesus, God Himself, would remain humble in His heart attitude. Paul described it this way, “...Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…” (Philippians 2). Being God Himself, Jesus had every right to claim equality with God. However, so that He could fulfill the role of the sin sacrifice as a perfect HUMAN, He humbled Himself in His humanity and became obedient to the Father.
That is why Adam brought the world to ruin, and Jesus Christ accomplished redemption.
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“Let us make man in our own image.” How can we even begin to understand all that those simple words contain? We, as humans, are made in the image of God! What are the implications of such a reality? If we are made in God’s image, what does that say about us? What does that say about Him? What does it say about our uniqueness? What does it say about our purpose?
God did not utter those words about anything else that He created. Mankind alone is exclusively made in His image. We know from the Scriptures that even the heavenly beings, like angels, are not made in God’s image. This truth is so incredible, so unfathomable, and so monumental that it demands further investigation. We MUST look into this to understand the depths of its meaning for us. We must strive to learn all that we can about why the One True God chose to create us uniquely in His image. The more we contemplate this, the deeper we will understand why Jesus Christ died on the cross exclusively for our redemption. Humanity is precious to God for many reasons, not the least of which is that we are uniquely created in His own image.
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The creation account. It’s more than just the first sentence of the Bible. In truth, Genesis 1:1 is a worldview packed into ten words. At its core, it is the declaration to all creation of who God is. It tells humanity that God is all-powerful, sovereign, unrivaled, and the one true God. In order to create all that is, God must be a being that is “uncreated,” immortal, and without beginning. It speaks to who God is and confirms that He created all the universe for His own pleasure to fulfill a purpose and a plan entirely of His own devising. It tells us that God is no mere craftsman but that He is able to will into existence that which He desires from nothing, meaning He is perfectly self-sufficient.
Genesis 1:1 is a verse that is so easy to read over, to bypass because we are so familiar with it. However, the reality is that if we pause for just a moment, we will find that this verse is packed with truth and meaning. We will see that it gives us a window into the heart of God, of who He is, and why He alone is worthy of our worship.
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Are you ready to jump into the book of Genesis and see the truths God has revealed to His people within its pages?
Before we begin this incredible journey, we pause to take a look at the foundations of this incredible book: the truths from which it derives its overwhelming authority. We pause to consider the man that God selected to write these words, a man who spoke with God face to face "as a man speaks with his friend," and we pause to prepare our hearts to understand the passionate love of God for His creation and the depths to which His plan has driven Him to go in pursuit of a way of salvation for humanity.
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Welcome to Season 4 of "Drippings from the Honeycomb." Join us as we go back to the beginning and examine the first eleven chapters of Genesis to help us gain an understanding of the foundation of God's plan for salvation.
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Throughout the Old and New Testaments, there is a recurring theme that consistently appears whenever humans encounter the Divine: they fell at His feet. This posture of humility showed their humility and worship of God. It showed the incredible disparity between the position of man and the position of God. However, there is a distinct difference between falling at the feet of God in fear of His overwhelming power, majesty, holiness, and splendor and being invited to cast one’s self at God’s feet like a child who falls at the feet of his loving parent in a plea for their tender care.
Peter wanted his churches to understand two things: first, that falling at the feet of God in humility is always the appropriate response of a human before God, and second, that the children of God’s adoption, believers, Kingdom-followers are invited to humbly cast themselves down at the feet of Jesus to find love, comfort, solace, and care. Throughout Scripture, the theme of God’s loving care for His children remains the same; He wants us to take our cares and sorrows to Him because it is His delight to care for them.
The truth for the believer is that GOD LOVES YOU! He is personally concerned with your needs and trials, and He WILL take care of you. Peter wanted his churches to lay their burdens at the feet of Jesus and rest in peace and confidence that He would care for all their needs.
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Let’s be honest: humans love to be comfortable. We strive for comfort by building comfortable homes, comfortable vehicles, and comfortable furniture. We love to come home at the end of the day and trade in our work clothes in favor of comfortable clothes. We like to be comfortable in our jobs, relationships, and community. In fact, we do just about everything we can to avoid being uncomfortable.
However, what if being uncomfortable is exactly what we need? What if God sometimes calls us into uncomfortable situations because He knows that is what will be best for us? How should we respond to being uncomfortable? What should we do when we see other brothers and sisters in Christ who have been called into an uncomfortable position by God?
In this episode, we will consider an uncomfortable promise from God’s Word that will impact all of our lives. We can be sure of it! Peter knew that this reality would affect his churches, and so he wrote to them to encourage them to embrace the uncomfortable times that would come upon them.
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Nothing calms the anxiety and fear of the human heart more than knowing the end of the story. Some of us, and you know who you are, read the end of every book before reading the book from start to finish! However, joking aside, it makes sense that we, as humans, want to know the end of every story. We want to know how it will all turn out. Will it be a happy ending or a sad ending? Will the suffering and trials experienced by the protagonist be worth it or will the story just end in hopelessness and despair?
God, in His infinite mercy, grace, and wisdom, understood that we as humans need to have a concept of where we are going. He understood that we needed to know something, and He gave us the end of the story. Through the Scriptures, He showed humanity that He will be victorious in the end, and He will give a part in that victory to everyone who loves Him, serves Him, and is faithful to Him. Humanity has been shown that our story has a good ending for those who follow Jesus. To take a line from the old hymn, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”
Peter understood that believers, both at the time he wrote to his church and in the future, would often forget this reality. He knew that just as he looked down at the waves instead of at Jesus’ face when He stepped out of the boat and walked on water, believers through all time would forget to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and would look at this world and sink under the waves of anxiety and fear about the future. Peter wanted Christ-followers to have their gaze fixed on Jesus Christ so that no matter what was going on around them, they would remain effective at being a witness for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
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Do you have hope? Hope is a powerful force. It can give us strength to push through trials, endure suffering, and overcome hardships. Hope can ground us even in the darkest of days. When nothing seems to be as it should be, where is your hope? What is it that you look forward to that keeps you going even when everything seems hopeless?
The Christians Peter wrote to in his letters were going through such a dark time. They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. In the midst of that persecution, Peter wanted to remind them that they had an overwhelming hope, the hope of eternal life on the new earth in perfect fellowship with Jesus Christ.
To the world, suffering with joy makes no sense because the world does not possess a hope that is focused outside of the boundaries of this sinful world. Peter knew that when believers cling to their hope, they exude a joy through their suffering that baffles even their persecutors, and, as a result, opportunities are opened to share the good news of salvation with the lost.
Peter wanted these Christians, and all those who would follow Christ in the future, to know that they were responsible for being prepared with a defense for their hope to the world. Peter wanted them to be able to articulate the reason for their hope because he understood that only the truth of the Gospel could bring joy in suffering, hope in hardship, and confidence in a future reward that transcends even the darkest night on this fallen earth.
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What is the evidence of ultimate love?
Is it affection?
Is it romance?
Is it loyalty?
Is it commitment?
Something else?
The answer can be found in one person. He was the only person to exemplify ultimate love in all of its beauty and radiance. His name is Jesus Christ, and with His life, or perhaps more accurately, His death, He demonstrated the evidence of ultimate love with His SACRIFICE on the cross.
God calls husbands to look to the image of Jesus Christ in loving their wives. He expects husbands to love their wives sacrificially. He calls them to go against the tide of sin, which causes husbands and wives to each see their own positions as more important than the other. He calls them to put aside their desires and serve their wives, honoring them as treasures entrusted to their keeping by a good and loving God.
Peter wanted the marriages in his churches to thrive, and he challenged husbands to follow the example of Christ in their marriages, something he knew they could only do through the power of the Holy Spirit. Join us as we consider a husband's responsibility from God's perspective through the writing of Peter and gain an understanding of the immense importance that God places on the role of "husband."
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Obedience to God is not easy, specifically because it requires self-sacrifice. However, obedience to God is always worth it. God is good. Please do not misunderstand that statement. God does not just do good things or act in good ways; God is good. We know what good is because of God. Without God, there is no good and nothing good.
Since this is true, we know we can trust God to reward those who obey Him! Why? Because He IS good!
God has laid out specific instructions for husbands and wives to live obediently in their marriage relationship roles. His call is not always easy to follow; in fact, when it comes to marriage, it is often difficult to follow because we are so sinful. However, when we obey God's will for our marriages, He blesses our marriage relationships far beyond anything we could ever imagine.
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The truth of the matter is that no one enjoys suffering. Suffering is uncomfortable, inconvenient, painful, and discouraging. In fact, humans take incredible measures to avoid suffering. Humanity will exert effort, spend money, and invoke creativity, going to nearly any length to remove potential suffering from life. However, Jesus and His disciples talked a great deal about suffering in the New Testament. The reason for this is that suffering is part of the Christian life. It is that way because suffering is one of the major tools that God uses to effect the sanctification of His children.
Peter wanted his churches to understand that there was a proper way for Christ-followers to suffer. He wanted them to glory in their sufferings for Jesus Christ, rather than being discouraged or defeated. Suffering for Christ is something that is a “gracious thing” in the eyes of God because it strips away worldliness and brings believers into a closer relationship with Him.
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Is it possible to be free AND a servant? Is it possible to gain more freedom through deeper service? In humankind's darkened thinking, the answer seems to be, "No!" However, God's ways are not man's ways, and His thoughts are higher than man's thoughts.
The Apostle Peter understood the "freedom paradox," and he wanted his churches and all the generations of believers that would follow to understand that true freedom is only found when humans give themselves wholly to the service of God.
Paul would take it a step further. He would refer to himself as a "slave" to God. He understood true freedom was not total self-serving living but selfless service to God. For Paul, the greatest manifestation of freedom he could ever attain was to be a slave, bound by divine love to Jesus Christ.
This flies in the face of all human thinking. Like everything else about Jesus' Kingdom, it is upside down to this broken and sinful world. It has to be because the Kingdom of God is perfect, and this world is broken.
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When God raises someone who was dead in their sins to life, He gifts them with a new heart, a living heart! At that moment, the affiliation of the believer's soul is forever changed. As the redeemed sinner begins to walk with God and learn about who God is, this living heart causes the believer to understand that the earth they have always known as their home is no longer home for them. They begin to long for a new place, a place where they truly do belong.
God has recreated them from a dead person to one who is alive; therefore, a dead earth cannot be their home. They have been given eternal life and require an eternal home to live in. Humans are indeed made for the earth, and the earth for humans; however, since the fall, spiritually dead people have been residing on a dying and decaying earth, awaiting the end of their lives or the end of the earth.
Jesus understood that the people He was going to call to Himself could not live forever on a dying earth. That is why He said He was going to prepare a new place for His people. Those who die cannot inhabit the lands which are deathless, nor can those who are deathless inhabit the lands that die. Christ's church would require a new earth to live out their new lives in fellowship with their Savior.
This is the idea that Peter was driving at when he called the believers “sojourners and exiles.” Believers cannot go back to paradise lost, but through the work of Jesus Christ in the resurrection of their souls and, eventually, bodies to eternal life, believers will go forward into the new paradise. One designed for the never-ending pursuit of life and the worship of God.
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The Apostle Peter, like all great pastors and teachers of the Word, took every opportunity to remind his audience what was truly important. Peter understood that the cares of this world often overwhelm and distract believers, causing them to focus on things that are not of eternal value. Peter wanted believers to grow in their faith, to be strong, steadfast, and faithful through the trials of this life. He knew that with the spiritual food of God's Word, the believer would grow, but without this spiritual food, the believer would be spiritually starved and remain immature and unable to withstand the day of testing.
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We live in a crumbling world. Everywhere around us, we are reminded of the decay that started when man first rebelled against God. People and animals age and die, buildings crumble, nations fall, and empires are destroyed. This cursed world is in a constant cycle of ruin, destruction, and decay. Throughout history, humans have tried to create something that will last forever, but no one has ever accomplished it.
The simple reason for this is that nothing can be eternal unless it has an eternal foundation. The problem is that even the earth is not eternal; therefore, nothing built on the earth can be eternal. We know from the Scripture that God will destroy this earth and remake it. The Apostle Peter quoted the persecuted church by showing them that God’s Word is eternal. He rested on the words of the prophet Isaiah to show the believers that, even though the world was persecuting them, the church would stand forever - because God’s Word stands forever.
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When someone becomes a Kingdom follower, the power of God raises them from eternal death to eternal life. This supernatural change also carries with it a God-given command for the Kingdom follower to pursue holiness. The apostle Paul would put it like this, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20)
Peter wanted the churches to know that God expected this of them. They had been saved, called out, set apart, and given the hope of a glorious future! They had been called to be witnesses of God’s Kingdom in thought, word, and deed.
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Christianity is not a new religion. In fact, it's not 2,000 years old. The truth is that Christianity is as old as the world itself. It has been the only true faith since the creation of the world. It has had different names, but Christianity's core principles have never changed since its inception, recorded in Genesis 3. Faith in God to provide a Messiah who would bring about salvation for sinners in a lost and fallen world.
The apostle Peter understood this reality and wrote about it to the church in his letters. The prophets had faith in the Messiah, though He was not yet revealed. Their faith drove them to seek the Scriptures diligently, even their own prophetic writings so that they would have a firm understanding of who the Messiah would be and when He would appear.
Peter was showing the new believers under his care, and us today, that faith in the Messiah is the basis for salvation. The Old Testament saints looked back at the promises with faith and forward to the Messiah with hope - just as we look back at the cross of Jesus with faith and forward to His return with hope!
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Peter wrote to churches that were enduring the scourge of persecution. He wasted no time in pointing them back to what was important; the hope that Christ-followers have in the finished work of Jesus Christ, especially His resurrection. Peter wanted the Church to understand that it makes no difference what trials, tribulations, persecutions, or hardships are happening to believers on this earth because they have an eternal hope that can never be taken away.
Why can it never be taken away?
Because it is secured by the finished work of Jesus alone, and He will see it through to its completion. From the first words of his letters to the Church, Peter was reminding them that their faith was worth it, that following Jesus was worth it because of the great hope of salvation they had been given. He was preparing them to persevere in obedience until God's work for their lives was finished. He was refocusing them on the only thing that matters; Jesus.
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Who was the man believers know as the Apostle Peter? Before we dive into his letters of teaching, reproof, and exhortation to the church, we wanted to pause and learn more about this man who Jesus Christ chose to be the earthly foundation of the Church. Peter would go on to become the Church's first pastor, a fierce defender of the gospel, a fearless missionary, and a martyr. Join us as we look into the life of this incredible man and the letters that he wrote to the Church he loved so much!
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The book of Ruth details the sovereign work of God in the life of Ruth that brought her from a destitute Gentile widow to the wife of a godly man who would provide for her, love her, and give her a position of honor in the nation of Israel. Through the redemption of Boaz, God also gave Ruth a hope for the future.
Like Ruth, Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, has given us a hope for the future. However, our hope is so much greater than Ruth's hope because Jesus has given us a hope that is perfect and eternal. Join us as we look at the end of Ruth's story and discover a picture of the hope that all who are saved by the work of Jesus possess because of the redemption made possible by our Redeemer.
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Boaz, through his wise plan, revealed in an indisputable way that he was the only true redeemer that could redeem Ruth. He didn’t act carelessly or casually in regard to Ruth’s request. Instead, he took her seriously, committing all of his resources to the task of securing her redemption.
Jesus showed by His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension that He was the only redeemer capable of redeeming humankind. He showed Himself to be unique in every way; fully God and fully man. The uniqueness of His person, His work, His plan, His love, and His sacrifice is indisputable, and this picture is beautifully captured and foreshadowed in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
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Ruth was helpless, yet from her position of helplessness, she humbled herself to cry out for help. She did not cry out randomly; instead, she directed her cry towards the only one who could help her situation, Boaz.
Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer to Ruth, was in the position to hear her cry and answer her needs. He had already begun to assume the position of her redeemer, and her cry to him for help would not fall on deaf ears.
Join us as we continue to look at the story of Jesus through the Book of Ruth and see how the story of Boaz and Ruth paints a beautiful foreshadowing of the love of Jesus for His Church.
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Boaz showed Ruth, a widowed gentile, extravagant kindness. Ruth would have been an outcast in early Jewish society, shunned because of her ethnicity, despised for her marriage to a Jewish man, and rejected as an unsuitable marriage partner for any man in Israel. Yet, in spite of all this, Boaz showed her love, compassion, and kindness.
Boaz is a picture of the true Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Jesus did not despise humanity. He had compassion for the lost, showed love for the lost, and served the lost with kindness and provision. The actions of Boaz point forward to the Messiah, and through God's sovereignty, he would be included in the line of the Messiah in a beautiful display of God's love for humanity.
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One of the most amazing parts about the Bible is that, while it was written over hundreds of years by multiple authors, it has one main theme which is Jesus Christ! Every part of Scripture points to the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Savior of the world!
As the calendar approaches the time of year where Christ Followers celebrate His birth, it is appropriate to look back into the Old Testament to see the prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah.
Throughout history, God revealed His plan of salvation to the human race over and over again. One of the most beautiful of these foreshadowings is found in the Book of Ruth, where readers are introduced to the idea of the “Kinsman Redeemer.” This redeemer is one who, through familial relationship, possesses the standing to alter the hopeless state of a destitute relative.
The incredible relationship of Ruth and Boaz serves as a remarkable picture for all humanity of God’s love for His people. Join us as we take a deeper look at the Christmas story through the biblical account of Ruth and Boaz and strive to gain a better understanding of just how much God loves us.
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Were humans made to worship? It seems that throughout history, humankind has displayed a deep need to worship something. In fact, it could be argued that there is a void within the hearts of humans that can only be filled by the act of worship. However, what is the best object of man’s worship? Observing history shows us that, while the right kind of worship brings fulfillment, the wrong kind of worship only deepens the need for fulfillment within the human heart. Join us as we examine what the Scriptures have to say about worship; both who we should worship, and how we should worship.
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The agony of the cross that Jesus suffered during His crucifixion is so much more than just the physical pain of death. In fact, while the physical pain was intense, there is evidence to suggest that this was not the primary source of Jesus’s suffering. In the Scriptures, we do not have any record of Jesus crying out in pain, however, there is a record of Jesus crying out. Matthew 27:46 records His heart-rending cry in the words, “My God, My God why have You forsaken me?” The agony of separation from His Father is clearly evidenced by this desperate cry from Jesus to the Father, and it bids us take a closer look at why this particular agony was so intense that Jesus called out in the midst of His suffering.
Join us as we take a closer look at the three distinct agonies that Jesus suffered on the cross and what they mean for humanity.
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One of the most convicting truths of the sacrifice of Jesus comes with the realization that, throughout the entire crucifixion event, Jesus had a means of escape. At any moment, the power to walk away was within His grasp. So what kept Him from walking away from the pain and suffering of the cross? The answer to that is found in Jesus’s own words which are recorded in Matthew 26. Join us as we look at the life-changing truth of the “willingness” of Jesus to suffer and die.
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When Jesus Christ returns as King at the end of the age, He will judge the nations. What will that look like exactly? In Matthew 25:32, Jesus sets the scene for His disciples. He depicts this event in the context of a great royal court, where every person who has ever lived will be summoned to appear before Him to stand in judgment. Join us as we look at what the Scriptures have to say about the final judgment, and how humans should respond to the knowledge of this future event.
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Can the pursuit of good things become an idol that causes humans to fail to worship God? Jesus showed that this was precisely why the people who died in the flood ignored Noah and his warnings. They were caught up in the "daily schedule" of personal gratification. The truth is that the same issue exists in today's world as well. Like before the flood, the idol of self will cause many people to ignore the warnings of God's Word and incur judgment when Jesus Christ returns.
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Is the Church today more enlightened than the Church of yesterday? Were those who came before just backward thinking, foolish, and sheltered? Would today's generation have fared better in their place? Jesus had some surprising things to say on this subject, and the words that He spoke to the Jewish leaders some 2,000 years ago carry a sharp warning for the modern-day Church. Join us as we take a deeper look at the difference between "enlightenment" and "humility" and their impact on holiness.
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Darkness will always flee from light. Truth will always overpower lies. Divine wisdom will always silence earthly wisdom. The Pharisees asked Jesus many questions during His ministry. They did this specifically to attempt to trick Him into saying something foolish, blaspheming, or discrediting Himself in front of the crowds, but Jesus always had an answer.
However, when Jesus finally challenged His critics, those who were supposed to know more about the Scriptures than anyone else in Israel, they were utterly silenced. Join us as we take a look at Jesus' final question and the truth behind it which closed the mouths of worldly wisdom.
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Why did Jesus perform so many healing miracles? Was it just because He had compassion for people? Was it because He wanted to display His power? Was it more than that? Join us as we take a deeper look at the purpose behind the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and what we as modern-day believers can learn from these healing miracles.
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Why would a crowd try to silence people in need? Could it have anything to do with the sinfulness of the self-centered human heart? The truth about humans is that all too often, we treat those who have the greatest needs with the highest level of scorn. This kind of behavior isn't unique to today's culture. It has been happening ever since sin entered the world. Join us as we look at a passage of Scripture that shows the stark contrast between hearts that seek their own desires, and those which seek to be transformed by Jesus.
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Jesus taught that the wealthy would only enter the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. Why did He teach this? Could it be that a persons wealth could prohibit them from entering heaven, or was Jesus talking about something more? Join us as we explore the truth behind Jesus’ teaching about wealth and the heart attitudes His followers must have towards the resources they have been blessed with.
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How important is it for Kingdom followers to forgive those who have wronged them? How many times must a follower of Jesus forgive others? Jesus had some very strong teaching about forgiveness, and more than that, what a person’s attitude towards forgiveness says about the standing of their own heart before God! Since the teachings of Jesus included such strong warnings for those who refuse to forgive, it is critical that every Kingdom follower understand His teachings about this incredibly important subject. Join us as we study what Jesus has to say about forgiveness, and how often His followers should forgive those who sin against them.
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How important is the transfiguration of Jesus Christ to the Christian faith? To summarize it, it is the cornerstone of the evidence behind the reality that Jesus was and is fully God and fully man. Without this eyewitness account of the unveiling of Christ's Divine glory, everything else that Jesus accomplished in His life would be diminished. The transfiguration stands at the heart of Messianic theology, supporting the claim that Jesus rose from the dead and lives ascended at the right hand of God in authority and power!
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Jesus had strong words of warning for His disciples about the false teachings being spread by the religious leaders of His day. It would be foolish of us as believers in the modern-day to think that Jesus would not have strong words of warning for many teachers leading the church if He were walking the earth today.
Like leaven, false teaching permeates the body of believers, setting them on a course for sin and failure. False teaching occurs whenever a teacher stops relying on God's Word and starts to add their own thinking and agenda into their teaching. Since the human heart is so easily led astray, it is imperative that those who are charged with teaching the Word of God continuously empty their hearts of self and fill their hearts with the Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to guide their teaching into all truth.
The modern church must repent of its false teaching, humble itself before God and ask Him to cleanse it, and bring it back to the righteousness that is only found by following the Scriptures.
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Many people believe that God is concerned about their personal needs. What does the Scripture have to say about this? Is an all-powerful God, who is master of all the created realm, attentive to and interested in meeting the needs of His creatures? The Bible confirms, both through stories and teaching the absolute truth that God is acutely aware of and intimately interested in meeting the needs of His creatures. He loves all that He has made, and that love drives Him to actively work to meet the needs of His people.
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How should Kingdom followers respond to the storms and trials of life? The world says we should focus on our circumstances and take control, but what do we do when the circumstances are beyond our control? Where can hope be found when we find ourself in a hopeless position?
Join us as we look at what Scripture has to say about the ultimate source of hope, and what we must do in the midst of the storm.
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What was the purpose of all of Jesus’ teachings? Couldn’t He have just trained His disciples and let them take the gospel to the world? Was there really a foundational reason behind the three-year teaching ministry of Jesus Christ? Join us as we take a deeper look at these questions and ask, “What did Jesus reveal to humankind through His teachings, and why does that matter to us in the modern-day?
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Did you know that the words you speak play an important role in your eternity? Jesus said that the words of a person would either justify or condemn them. What did He mean by this statement? How should this teaching affect our lives on a daily basis?
Join us as we explore the inextricable link between the heart and the mouth, and why the words we speak say so much about our eternal future.
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Will God really punish those who reject Jesus?
During His ministry, Jesus had some incredibly harsh words for the cities and towns of Israel that rejected Him. He went as far as to say that the city of Sodom would be judged less harshly than Capernaum, the city where He lived during His ministry! How could this be? How could cities in the nation of God's chosen people be subjected to a worse judgment than those who lived out the most horrific human perversions on a daily basis?
Join us as we take a deeper look at why God's judgment on those who reject Jesus is to be feared more based on the depth of evidence available to them. The modern world has received so much evidence for God and Jesus that it stands in peril of an even greater judgment for its rejection.
However, there is hope! God is patient and merciful, and His forgiveness is available to ALL who repent, believe, and follow Him.
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How long should believers continue to witness to someone who rejects the gospel?
In this episode we explore the command of Jesus to his disciples to “shake the dust from your feet” and seek what that means for us as modern day believers.
We want to be effective witnesses of the gospel and so it is imperative that we understand the instructions for spreading the message of Jesus and His Kingdom.
Join us as we seek wisdom from the pages of Scripture to help us be more effective witnesses for Jesus.
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Is the Old Testament still relevant for modern believers? If we have been given the New Testament, why do we still need the Old Testament. Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament, wouldn’t it be better if the church just did away with it, or is there a reason that the Old Testament is still relevant?
The truth is that the Old Testament is joined to the New Testament and is completely inseparable from it. It is fully relevant for believers, even in the modern-day.
Join us as we explore the connections between the Old and New Testament and why Jesus’ ministry inaugurated the New Testament and the Church.
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How can we define ultimate authority? By what standard can we determine if an entity has ultimate authority? What kind of situation would need to be recorded for us to see the evidence of ultimate authority?
The Scriptures claim that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the one true God, is the ultimate authority. More than just possessing authority, God is the ultimate authority. He is authority by His very nature. Few places in Scripture express this reality like Matthew 8:28-34. Join us as we explore the evidence of God's authority as it is manifested in Jesus Christ.
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In Matthew 7:15, Jesus issues a warning against false prophets. This warning is applicable to the church today and was echoed by the Apostles to the churches they planted.
How can we as believers take steps to be on guard against the false prophets and teachers that Satan sends into the church to try and destroy it?
Believers must be vigilant in studying the Scriptures and continually checking the teaching they sit under against the Word of God. By disciplining themselves in this way, believers will be prepared to “cry wolf” if/when the time comes.
Relevant Scripture References
- False prophets will come into the church Acts 20:29-32/Matthew 7:15
- False prophets are allowed by God in His sovereignty to test His people Deut 13:1-5
- False prophets will be harshly judged by God Jeremiah 14:13-16
- False prophets preach a message that pleases those who despise God’s Word. Jeremiah 23:16
- False prophets cover up evil actions by corrupt leadership. Ezekiel 22:27
- False prophets do not call out sin in the church. Micha 3:5-8
- False prophets teach heresy and deny that salvation is found through Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:1-7
- False prophets do not affirm the divinity of Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:1
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In Matthew 6:32, Jesus teaches that pursuing the physical needs, desires, and possessions of this life is a pagan activity. Why would pursuing the needs of life, such as food, drink, and clothing, be pagan? After all, Kingdom followers need food and clothes just like everyone else! What is Jesus really getting at in this passage, and how should that impact the thinking of believers? Could it be that Jesus is teaching His followers to pursue His Kingdom in faith, knowing that He is able to provide them with everything they need in this earthly life? Ponder the answers to these questions for yourself as we take a deep-dive look into why Jesus called the pursuit of earthly things a pagan pursuit.
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Why did Jesus compare His followers to salt? What is unique about salt that makes it a good metaphor for the lives of true disciples? Can salt lose its flavor? If we are going to have a proper understanding of Jesus' teachings, we must understand the comparisons that He used to talk about His disciples. Without this understanding, it will be impossible for us to evaluate our own lives to see if we are living lives that fit His descriptions of a true disciple.
The truth is that salt played a significant role in the Old Testament worship of God. Using this as a backdrop for His analogy, Jesus compared His disciples to salt. By understanding the backdrop, we can gain a robust understanding of how we should live as modern-day Kingdom followers.
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Is it necessary to obey God immediately? What does it say about a person if they obey right away or later? The disciples responded to the call of Jesus immediately, dropping everything they were doing to follow Him. Is this the kind of obedience that Kingdom followers should always practice, or is it ok to delay obedience so long as we obey in the long run?
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John the Baptist was a man with a specific mission, filled with the Holy Spirit, and a prophet. In fact, Jesus said that John was the greatest prophet, the forerunner for the Messiah, and even the fulfillment of the second coming of Elijah! Matthew correctly identified that John fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy about the forerunner of the Messiah. This is verified by the fact that John confirmed this truth by his own testimony elsewhere in the gospels.
The bottom line is that the life of John the Baptist served as a marker for the advent of the Messiah. His life and ministry pointed to Jesus and prepared the way for Jesus to announce the inauguration of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Key Follow Up Text:
"And the disciples asked him (Jesus), “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist." (Matthew 17:10-13)
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Did the religious leaders of Israel really understand how to read and interpret the ancient prophecies about the Messiah? A deeper look at Matthew 2:5 reveals more than a simple answer.
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How sovereign is God? So much so that He is able to work His perfect plan through the messy and mistake-filled lives of fallen people.
In this episode, we take a look at the two interesting characters of Judah and Tamar, who, despite all their flaws, ended up in the line of Jesus. Their story, as well as their inclusion in the line of the Messiah, is evidence that God's will transcends all of humankind's mistakes, sins, and failures.
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In the Psalms, King David compared the sweetness of God’s Word to drippings from the honeycomb. This statement has inspired us to take a journey through the books of the Bible by looking at key verses throughout each book. By diving deeper into the stories and teachings connected to each of these key verses, we will be able to see how all of Scripture comes together to bring glory to its main subject, Jesus Christ.
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